5 Persons Killed After Petrol Tanker Exploded in Akwa Ibom State

Scene of the Accident

A petrol tanker has crushed five persons to death after losing control and crashing into a pavement, along Obong Itam Road in the Itu Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, PUNCH reports.

The report stated that the tanker was coming from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) depot in Calabar, Cross River State, when the accident occurred.

According to an eyewitness, Cyril Ekpenyong, the tragic incident occurred on Monday at about 8:30PM.

“The accident happened around 8.30PM. We saw the truck as the police flagged it down, because it drove with one headlamp, which was not even bright. The driver did not stop.

The police did not chase him. He sped off, thinking the policemen were after him. After some seconds, we heard a bang. The tanker crashed into a pavement, killing the five persons.

Everyone scampered to safety as there was an inferno. When we returned, we observed people rolling in the gutter, being burnt by the fire,” Ekpenyong said.

Ekpenyong said that the driver, and three other persons in the tricycle were burnt beyond recognition.

According to Godsgift Uwen, the Public Relations Officer of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in the state, “The truck crashed into a pavement. It then fell on a tricycle and killed five persons. An injured victim was rushed to a hospital. The cause of the accident was dangerous driving. The truck crashed into a pavement and hit a tricycle.”

Photo Credit: Etim Ekpimah/PUNCH